


Fear and Loathing in Gilboa

by SorchaR



Series: In the Shadows of Tall Buildings [4]
Category: Kings (TV 2009)
Genre: Gen, Kidnapping, M/M, OCs - Freeform, my characters are inappropriately snarky
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-14
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-04-14 14:56:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4568778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SorchaR/pseuds/SorchaR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some people avoid trouble, some people ask for trouble, and some people hunt trouble down, step on its blue suede shoes, and insult its mother.</p><p>If you go around kidnapping people that David Shepherd loves, you're probably one of the latter - particularly if your intended victim is Jack "I kills u wif mah sarcazmz" Benjamin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another one-shot in this 'verse. As long as they keep comin', I'll keep writin'.
> 
> Thanks as always to molmcmahon for beta!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack used to want things like sports cars and designer clothes.
> 
> He's changed just a little.

Jack lifts himself off David and flops down beside him with a deep sigh of satisfaction, wriggling a little to enjoy the pleasant soreness. He closes his eyes, purring as David rubs his stomach; he has something he’s been wanting to talk to David about, but he’s been waiting for the right time. "You know what I've been thinking?"

"What have you been thinking?" David asks, catching Jack's hand and bringing it to his lips.

Jack stretches. "I've been thinking maybe we should have another baby."

" _We_ haven't had one baby," David points out, laughing. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but we're lacking some basic baby-growing equipment."

Jack smacks David's chest with the back of his hand without opening his eyes. "You know what I mean. We should adopt one. Oh, better yet, hire a surrogate. I'll be the father. You made two of ours and I only made one. That's hardly fair."

David laughs again. "It's not a competition, Jonathan." He traces his fingertips along Jack's shoulder. "What's got you wanting another baby, anyway?"

"Oh, nothing in particular," Jack says airily. He opens one eye, sees that David's not buying it, and sighs. "I don't know. I just...I just do." There's a lot more to it than that, but he has no idea how to articulate it when he doesn't even fully understand it himself.

David bends and kisses him softly. "I need to think about it," he says in that "I'm really not sure about this, Jonathan" tone Jack knows very well. "Okay?"

Well, he hadn't expected an answer tonight. "Mmkay." He turns off the light and settles down under the covers, snuggling back against David. "You'll have time to think while I'm dedicating that power plant. Oh, and make sure someone records Daniel and Izzy's play. I want to see it when I get back."

David pulls him close and kisses his shoulder. "Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, Jack. You're good at getting what you want.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quick as a blink, everything changes.

David stares at the wall opposite him, genuinely trying to listen to the Minister for Culture as he drones on, but his thoughts are wandering.

He's not really sure how he feels about the idea of another baby. Neither of them has as much free time to spend with the kids as they'd like. Michelle's there as well, of course, but she has her own set of duties as the Minister for Public Health, as well as her own guilt about whether she's neglecting her children.

Still, he can't deny that the idea appeals to him. Growing up in a big family has its share of problems, of course, but David wouldn't trade his brothers for anything, and the image of his children having the same kind of childhood makes him smile.

The smile fades when the doors to the chamber fly open to admit Michelle, face pale and eyes wide. She gestures to the hallway and David rises. "Excuse me for a moment."

When they're out in the hall, David grasps Michelle's shoulders. "What is it?" he demands. "Is it one of the kids?"

Michelle shakes her head. "Jack's missing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's too short for notes.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack comes to with a blinding headache, no feeling in his hands, and the weird sense of having travelled back in time. After a moment, he realizes that the headache isn't due to a drinking binge, which clears up the confusion over what decade it is. "Wasn't looking forward to doing _that_ again," he mutters.

As his head clears, he sees that he's in a small, dingy room, secured to a wooden chair - hence the lack of feeling in his hands. From the looks of it, he's in an old farmhouse, and he's also pretty sure he's in trouble.

The door opens, and a young woman enters with a large plastic bottle and a straw, a little girl clinging to her skirt. When the little girl sees Jack looking at her, she ducks behind the woman, peeking out shyly.

The woman plucks the little girl's fingers from her skirt. "Stay right here," she says. The little girl tries to cling to the woman, but in the end she gives up and hides behind the door, eyes never leaving Jack's face.

The woman approaches carefully and sets the bottle on the table beside Jack, straw within reach of his mouth. "Water," she says. "It's safe."

Jack would like to challenge that, but he's thirsty enough that he's willing to take the risk. He takes a long drink, then another, and forces himself to stop. As much as he'd like to drink the whole thing, he may need it later. Also, he doesn't want to find himself tied to a chair and needing to piss.

"Where am I?" he asks.

The woman just stares at him, and he sighs, trying to pinch the bridge of his nose before he remembers that he doesn't have use of his hands. "Fine. How about this: why am I here?"

She shakes her head. "That's not for me to tell you. You'll find out soon." She backs toward the door, as if Jack is somehow going to break free and attack her, and holds out her hand. "Come along, Sarabeth. It's time for lunch."

Sarabeth stares at Jack over her shoulder as they leave, and when the door shuts, Jack looks around and sighs.

_Lunch_. Okay, that's a start. Not much of one, but it gives him a rough idea of the time of day and how long he's been here. He's starting to remember now - he was in the CEO's office at the power plant, waiting for his escort to the ceremony. But when they arrived, they were not the two employees with the most seniority in the company. They were...well, the people who drugged him and brought him here.

"The next time the fucking coffee tastes wrong, I'm not going to fucking drink it just to be polite," Jack mutters. "And the next time David tells me to be polite, I'm going to tell him to go fuck himself. It's his fault I drank the fucking coffee. Fuck being polite."

He thinks he may have just used up his daily allowance of the word "fuck."

He doesn't fucking care.

The door opens again, this time admitting three men. One of them is carrying a monitor and a video camera, and Jack’s stomach drops. He’s pretty sure they’re not going to have him try out for "Shiloh Sings." 

Hopefully they'll only do enough damage to make him look pathetic on camera.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hang in there, Jack. You're tough. Fucking tough, even.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the right circumstances, just about anyone can cooperate with just about anyone else.

It's nineteen steps from one side of David's office to the other. Michelle knows because she's been watching him pace back and forth for an hour.

There's been no word yet from the kidnappers, and the tension in the room is thick enough that it's almost tangible. Silas is at the window, Rose on a sofa; they both appear to be perfectly composed, but Michelle knows better. David's family is on their way, and the children are in the nursery with Ana. They haven't yet been told yet that Daddy is missing, and she hopes they won't have to be.

The phone rings, and before anyone else can get to it, Silas answers. "Yes?" He listens for a moment. "Right. We're on our way."

He hands up and turns. "We’re needed in the pressroom."

David starts to head for the door, but Silas grabs his arm. "Listen to me, David. You can't negotiate."

"What?" David yanks his arm away. "I'm supposed to just leave him there? God knows what they've already done to him. Do you really still hate him that much?"

"Who do you think you are?" Silas steps right up into David's space. "Do not presume to know what I think or how I feel.”

He takes a deep breath and steps back, calming down. “This is the price of the crown, David. These are the choices you have to make. If you give into one demand, a thousand others will flood through the gate you've opened and Gilboa will _drown_."

Michelle lays her hand on his arm."As much as it kills me to say it, Jack would tell you the same thing. You know he would."

David looks as if he wants to argue, but after a moment, his shoulders slump. "You're right. God, how I hate to admit it, but you're right." He straightens his shoulders. "Let's go."

Michelle glances over as they walk. David has his features schooled, and Michelle knows he’ll handle this as well as anyone could, but there’s something else there that only someone who knows him well can see.

David’s planning.

They enter the pressroom and stand in front of the screen, and the woman at the controls brings up the picture. When she sees Jack, Michelle's hand flies to her mouth to smother a gasp. Jack's face is bloody, covered in bruises and scrapes; his arms are bound to his chair and more injuries are visible where his clothes are torn. On her left side, her mother fumbles for her free hand, while on her right, David goes rigid.

There are three men standing around Jack, one with a gun to his head. One of the others moves forward. "I bring you greetings from the Brothers and Sisters of the Shining Eye."

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" David asks scornfully. "Jonathan, do you know what that means?"

Jack gives a rough laugh. "From where I'm sitting, it means they have about five brain cells to share between them."

For that, he gets backhanded. The only indication of emotion David gives is the tightening of his fists.

"Last time _I_ did that, you threatened to kill me," Silas mutters.

"I can't exactly kill him with my mind," David retorts under his breath. At normal volume, he says, "I'll save us all some time. Gilboa does not bargain with terrorists."

"We prefer the term 'revolutionaries.'"

"I don't care if you prefer the term 'magical fairy babies,' we're not going to negotiate."

Jack grins at David. "Good boy."

The leader backhands Jack again. "Be quiet!"

To David, he says, "Do you really care so little for him, that you'd give him up without even hearing our terms?"

David swallows hard, and for a moment the mask slips. "I love him more than my own life," he says hoarsely. "But Gilboa does not submit to blackmail." He signals for the transmission to be cut off, then collapses into the nearest seat, head down.

Silas doesn't give him a moment to recover. "'I love him more than my own life?' What the hell was that? You just gave away your greatest weakness!"

David lifts his head, and Michelle is shocked to see that he's smiling. "They already knew my greatest weakness, or they'd never have taken Jonathan in the first place. But now, they've got a reason to think I'll change my mind, which gives them a reason to keep him alive, which gives me time."

He takes out his cell phone and makes a call. "How far out are you guys? Oh, thank God. When you get here, I need you to get hold of as many members of Jonathan's old unit as you can. His personal laptop is in our rooms. Their contact info is in a database called 'Friendship is Magic' - you'll have to search for it."

He listens for a moment. "No, I don't know what the hell is wrong with him, but we do have three children so I'm guessing that has something to do with the file name. Also, he says the same thing about you, but now is not the time to discuss that. You still have the password for his laptop? Good. Tell them Jonathan needs them. They'll come."

He calls to the woman at the console. “You started a trace?”

“Of course, Your Majesty, but it will take a while. They sent the signal through a bunch of proxies."

Rose clears her throat. “What exactly are you doing, David?”

David grins. "What do you think? I'm going to bring Jonathan home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three guesses who David called, and the first two don't count.
> 
> If the surprisingly civil interactions between David and Jack's parents made you say, "WTF was that?" after you read this, rest assured, that's what I said after I wrote it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's safe for now - as long as he keeps his mouth shut.

When the screen goes black, the leader, whom Jack has privately named "Mortimer," curses, and the gun against Jack's head twitches.

"Should I kill him now?" asks the gunman, whom Jack has dubbed "Zelda."

"Are you insane?" Mortimer snatches the gun away and Jack breathes a quiet sigh of relief.

"But, the king said -"

"It doesn't matter what he said. I saw his eyes. By morning he'll be begging to hear our terms."

At that, Jack starts laughing, and the other henchman, "Spot", kicks his shin.

"What's so funny?"

"You poor, dumb bastards," Jack says, shaking his head. "You have no idea what you've done. You might want to start praying."

Mortimer spits on the floor. "I think that's your department. Pray we send you home alive and in one piece when your husband gives us what we want."

Jack snorts. "You're an idiot if you think that's going to happen. David means what he says."

"You're remarkably calm for a man who's being left to die."

"David only said he wouldn't negotiate. He didn't say he was leaving me to die." If Jack thought for one moment that this man would believe what he's saying, he wouldn't say it. He's seen enough of Mortimer, though, to know that he's arrogant, and enough of his henchmen to suspect that they’re easily rattled. Getting inside their heads should be a snap.

Mortimer throws back his head and laughs. "What, you expect him to just show up and take you home?"

"He did it before. During the Gath war, he disobeyed orders and crossed into enemy territory alone to rescue me, and that was before he even knew me. What do you think he'd be willing to do now?"

Zelda and Spot exchange uneasy glances, but Mortimer only says, "It doesn't matter. He has no way of finding us."

"He had no way of finding the Gilboan charter, either, when it was stolen and taken into Gath. But he did." Jack grins, knowing it's a gruesome sight at the moment. "Never did tell me how, but I have an idea."

He pauses for a moment for effect. "Whooole lot of witches in that family, is all I'm sayin'."

He's pegged Zelda and Spot for superstitious types, and indeed, they're casting nervous glances at the door as if David might come strolling in.

Mortimer pauses to light a cigarette. "Whatever credibility you might have had, you just destroyed."

"I don't need credibility," Jack replies, keeping one eye on that cigarette in case Mortimer decides it's not just a smoke. "I have David."

"Who is a king, and would never be allowed to do something as dangerous as a rescue mission."

Jack just laughs. "Nobody _allows_ David to do anything, except maybe God. Well, actually, God mostly tells him what to do once in a while. Anyway, the point is, David's coming for me, and when he gets here, he's gonna be _pissed_."

"That's enough!" Mortimer throws his barely-smoked cigarette on the floor and stomps it out, and Jack takes a moment to thank God that Mortimer never took Torture 101. "He's not coming for you, but if it makes you feel better to think it, go ahead."

He points at Jack. "And one more word about your husband's heroic deeds, or rescues, or -"

"Don't forget the witches," Zelda says hurriedly. "We don't want to hear no more about witches."

Mortimer covers his eyes, shaking his head in a way that says he's seriously rethinking his most recent life choices. "And that."

Jack looks at him politely. "Was that it?"

"Was that what?"

"I thought you were threatening me with some sort of violence. You know, if I mentioned what a badass my husband is, or that he's on his way to get me right now, or that he's the seventh son of a seventh son." Well, David is a seventh son, but whether or not his father was also one, Jack has no idea. "You sort of got sidetracked before you actually mentioned what you'd do."

Mortimer leans over him, smiling like a shark. "Well, let's just say there won't be very much left of you for the king to rescue."

Okay, yeah, Mortimer can be scary when he wants to.

Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really did try to make this fic totally serious.
> 
> I failed. I can't help it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> God puts in an appearance. Also, the power of cute children strikes again - what's going on with Silas?

David takes a break from overseeing the search to have a nap and a shower - well, his mother makes him take a nap, but the shower is his own idea. When he gets back, he sees that the kids are there, but before he can ask what's going on, Michelle pulls him back out into the hall.

"The press got hold of the story," she says quietly. "Not all of it, of course, but they know Jack's missing. Ana took the kids to the toy store. When they came out, the reporters were waiting."

David doesn't often feel actual rage, but he's become well-acquainted with it recently. "Do we know who any of the reporters were?" he asks, voice tight.

Michelle actually smirks. "The driver recorded everything with his phone. It's being taken care of. C'mon, the kids have been asking for you."

They go back into the room and Isabel slips off Jessie's lap, running to fling her arms around David's waist. "Papa, Papa, the TV people said Daddy is missing!"

"And we were scared and Joshua was crying," Daniel adds from where he's clinging to Rose.  
  
Indeed, Joshua, curled up beside Silas on a sofa with his thumb in his mouth, is still sniffling a bit, but he smiles when he sees David. "Hi, Papa. Mean TV people scared us."

Holding Isabel's hand, David pets Joshua's hair. "You guys seem okay now."

"That's 'cause Grampa told us you're gonna go get Daddy and bring him home," Isabel says solemnly.

David's eyes flicker toward Silas, who is apparently very interested in something in the fireplace. "Did he, now?"

Daniel nods, bouncing a little in his seat. "He said you rescued Daddy all by yourself during a war." His eyes are wide. "And you blowed up a tank!"

Silas is still looking away, and David says, "Well, Grampa's right. I'm going to bring Daddy home."

He kisses the top of Isabel's head. "But this time, some of Daddy's friends from the army are going to go with me. You know why?"

"Why?" Joshua asks.

"Because when I get there and rescue Daddy, he's going to want to fight all the bad guys by himself, but he's going to need to rest. So I'm bringing the soldiers so that some of them can stop him from fighting and the others can take care of the bad guys."

Isabel and Daniel giggle, but Joshua nods sagely. "Daddy fight _all_ the bad guys." He leans against Silas and pops his thumb back into his mouth.

"Children, why don't we see if we can't find you something to eat?" Jessie says, standing up. "I'll make you some macaroni and cheese."

Isabel and Daniel move to go with her, but Joshua shakes his head. "Wanna stay wif Grampa."

David nods at his mother, who shrugs, takes the twins by the hand and leads them out. Considering how she feels about Jack's parents, especially Silas, she has been remarkably generous in staying here.

Of course, she's always saying she doesn't get to see enough of the kids, so maybe she's not too put out.

He bends down and kisses Joshua's forehead, and as he straightens up, he murmurs, "Who are you and what have you done with Silas?"

"My grandchildren were upset," Silas replies with a shrug. "When this is all over, remind me to teach you how to handle the press."

David huffs a laugh and straightens up. "I'm going to the sanctuary."

Joshua sits up. "I go too. Wanna talk to God 'bout Daddy." He pats Silas's leg and slips off the sofa. "Don' worry, Grampa, I come back soon."

"You know God can hear you no matter where you are, right?" David asks, reaching out for Joshua's hand.

"Uh huh," Joshua says as they leave the room. "Just wanna go to the sancsury."

There's no one in the sanctuary when they get there, and Joshua climbs up onto a seat facing the contemplation pool. "You know this my favorite," he tells David, pointing at it.

"I know," David says, kissing the top of his head. "Since you were old enough to tell us." Some of the candles have burnt out and David makes a note to replace them before they leave.

Joshua squeezes David's hand. "We pray now," he says firmly.

David smiles and sits beside him. "Yes." He bows his head as Joshua does the same, then takes a deep breath.

_I know I've asked you for a lot in my life, God. I just...I'm not asking you to free him. I can do that. Just, please, guide me to him. Comfort him and protect him and tell him I'm coming. Please._

He's not sure how long he stays that way, repeating the same prayer over and over, until Joshua tugs at his sleeve and points to the pool. "Papa, look."

David lifts his head to see that the burnt-out candles are whole and lit again. David stares for a moment, because it's been some time since God's answered a prayer with physical phenomena. Finally, he smiles. _Thank you._

"Daddy gonna be okay," Joshua pronounces. He slides off the bench. "We go tell ev'body."

As they're heading for the door, it flies open, and Shane's standing there, out of breath. "They've found Jack."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't set out to reform Silas in this fic. It's just...happening.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack finds an unexpected ally. Also, God gets around.

When Jack wakes up, his neck is sore; he doesn't know how long he's been asleep, but it seems like it's getting close to twilight. He opens his eyes to see the little girl, Sarabeth, sitting on the floor a few feet from his chair. "Are you supposed to be in here?" he asks, voice raspy.

She puts her finger over her lips to shush him, and with the other hand points to the table. There's a quart of cold milk with a straw, and Jack's mouth actually waters.

It doesn't take him long to finish it."Did you bring that?"

She nods. "Uh huh."

"Thank you, Sarabeth. That was kind of you."

Sarabeth makes no move to leave. She studies Jack for a moment, head cocked, then stands up and comes up to his chair, gently patting his face. "This is not nice," she says, voice barely above a whisper. "This is mean."

Jack laughs shortly. "I agree." Parts of his face are throbbing, and he knows he must look pretty terrible. Sarabeth just keeps touching his face, though, and oddly, it seems to help.

Sarabeth sighs. "I wish I could let you go now."

Jack frowns, confused about why she'd even say that. "What do you mean?"

She blows a puff of air up into her wispy, fawn-colored bangs. "It's not time. You'd just get caught and then they'd tie you up worse and I wouldn't be able to let you go when it was time." She looks at him seriously. "He's coming, but he's not close enough yet. I'll let you go when he is."

A little shiver runs down Jack's back, because he knows exactly what she means. "How do you know that, Sarabeth?"

"God showed me." She looks down, voice soft. "Sometimes He shows me things."

Jack waits until she looks at him to smile. "He shows my husband things, too. It's pretty cool."

She smiles tentatively, but before she can reply, a male voice calls from somewhere down the hall. "Sarabeth! Where are you, you little freak?"

Her eyes widen and she backs away, finger on her lips again. Quickly, she grabs the empty milk carton and runs over to the wall. Jack is startled to see her open a door, about four feet tall, that blends perfectly into the wallpaper. She disappears behind it, the door closing just as Zelda comes in.

"Where the hell is she?"

"Who, your mother?" Jack smirks. "I dunno. I didn't have any money for a blowjob so she left."

That earns him a fist to the ribs, but Zelda leaves after looking around the room once, so Jack counts it as a win. After a couple of minutes, the little door creaks open and Sarabeth slips out, scurrying over to his chair and leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you. I'll be back soon to let you go." She goes back through the little door, so Jack guesses it must open onto a secret passage.

He lets his head fall back and stares at the ceiling for a moment. It's going to be hard to move when he first gets loose, between having been tied up and not having eaten.

Maybe Sarabeth will bring him a sandwich when she comes to let him go.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's gonna be kind of hard to chew a sandwich right now, Jack. Maybe a nice plate of scrambled eggs?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isabel is ready for Special Forces training.
> 
> And David is surprised by three people: Silas, Rose, and...Shane?

"Papa."

David turns from talking to one of Jack's men and when he sees his daughter, he sighs. Isabel, who usually refuses to wear anything but dresses, is wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and black jeans, both probably raided from Daniel's wardrobe.

"Izzy, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to help rescue Daddy," she declares. "Everyone else is wearing black so I am too."

"Izzy..." David crouches so they're at eye level. "You can't go with me. It's too dangerous."

"I'll be very careful, Papa! I know how to shoot a gun and everything."

David stares at her. "You what?"

"Daddy taught me and Daniel how. He says I have a good eye."

"Oh, did he?" David is going to have a little talk with Jack - once he's finished holding onto him and never letting him go.

Well, that doesn't make much sense. Maybe _while_ he's holding on and never letting go.

"Be that as it may," he says, "there is no way I'm taking you on a rescue mission."

Isabel's face turns mutinous and she stomps her foot. "I can help. I _can_."

David pulls her into a hug, even though she resists. "Yes, you can, but not by going with me. You can stay here and pray for us with your brothers...and you know, if I let you come with me, you'd miss the play."

"Daddy's more important than the play."

"Of course he is, sweetheart. But you can't go with me, and Daddy was really looking forward to seeing the video of it when he got home." David tips her chin up and looks into her eyes. "You wouldn't want to take that away from him, would you?"

Isabel pouts a little, but shakes her head. "No."

David kisses her forehead. "You are very brave, just like Daddy, and I'm very proud of you."

She smiles a little, reluctantly, and David hugs her close. "Did you ask Daniel if you could borrow his clothes?"

"No," she says, looking down. "I thought maybe he would want to come too, and I didn't want him to get hurt."

David can't help laughing into her hair. "You're a good sister. Now, go change into your own clothes and put Daniel's back."

Isabel shuffles out, and just as David is turning back to the planning, Silas approaches. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Bemused, David follows Silas into a quiet corner, and Silas clears his throat. "It occurs to me that when you find Jack, he may not be in the best shape to endure a trip all the way back here, even by helicopter." He reaches into the pocket of his suit coat and takes out a key and a map. "We have a house near where he's being held," he says, pressing them into David's hand. "Perhaps you could take him there for a day or two to recover."

Surprised, David nods. "I'll do my best, but you know he's going to want to get back to the kids."

"If you're there more than a day, we'll bring the children down." Silas glances off to one side for a moment, then looks David in the eye. "Bring my son home, David." He turns and walks away before David can answer.

"Well, then," David mutters, rubbing the back of his neck. He heads back toward the group, but he's stopped by a hand on his arm.

"David, a word?"

David's not entirely sure why Jack's parents can't talk to him together, but he's given up trying to figure out their motives for most of what they do. He leads Rose back to the same corner and waits for her to speak.

"I know we've had our differences," she says, not looking at him. "And I know I didn't make things easy for you and Jack when..." She pauses, and for just a moment she looks uncertain and tired. "But in spite of my behavior, I know that you love my son. And I know you'll bring him home safe."

David waits politely, and she draws a deep breath. "I'm sorry, David, for the way I've treated you. That's all I wanted to say."

She turns to walk away, and then stops. "Would you please thank your brother for me? He helped me through a difficult moment this morning."

"Which brother?" David asks. "I have five living and they're all here."

She smiles apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's still hard to keep them all straight. The ginger one. Sean?"

David blinks. "Shane?"

"That's the one," she says. "Please tell him I appreciate his kindness." She's gone before he can reply.

"What did Jack's parents want?" Shane asks, coming up on his left."

"To act like parents," David replies, a little dazed. Recovering, he adds, "Rose wanted me to thank you for being so kind to her." He drops his voice. "I thought you hated her."

"I don't _hate_ her," Shane protests, but when David gives him a skeptical look, he sighs. "Okay, she's not one of my favorite people, but I happened to run into her when she was really upset. What was I supposed to do, point and laugh? I'm not a complete dick, you know."

"Not all the time, anyway." David ducks the punch Shane aims at his shoulder. "I'm just kidding, you know that. You're a good guy."

"I'm an _awesome_ guy," Shane retorts. "You wish you were half as awesome as me." He pulls David into a headlock for a moment, then pushes him away. "Go get your husband, dude."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good Guy Shane is nice to people he dislikes. Awww.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cavalry approaches.

"Hey, wake up." Small hands pat Jack's face. "It's time to go. He's almost here." 

Slowly, he reaches awareness. After the third time he'd lost consciousness unexpectedly, he'd been forced to admit to himself that he’s not so much been “falling asleep” as “passing right the fuck out.” Not a surprise, really, but not a good thing either.

He opens his eyes and smiles weakly. "Hey there. I was worried about you." Sarabeth hasn’t been back since she brought him the milk, and Jack’s glad to see her. He's pretty sure, judging from her behavior when Zelda was looking for her, that she's not treated well, and he'd been afraid that she'd gotten in trouble for helping him.

"I'm good at hiding," she says matter-of-factly. Brandishing a large kitchen knife, she moves behind the chair. "Hold still."

Jack swallows. "Believe me, I'm not moving."

She cuts through whatever's holding his wrists, the knife never touching his skin. While he's trying desperately not to cry out in pain as the feeling returns to his fingers, she gently rubs his wrists. "I don't have time to make it all better," she says, "but I can fix the important stuff so you can move." She takes each of his hands in hers, one at a time, and the pain eases to a manageable ache.

"How do you do that?" he asks, amazed.

She shrugs as she moves to cut through the bonds on his legs. "God." She points the knife at the table. "Drink that. I couldn't get you any food, but that will help."

He looks over and sees a mug with steam coming off of it, and he doesn't doubt that she's right. It tastes like chicken broth, but as he drinks, he feels his exhaustion and hunger ease. "What's in this?" he asks, looking at the mug.

"I don't remember. I got the soup off the stove and then my hands just put stuff in. Finish it and see if you can stand up, okay?"

Jack obediently downs the rest of the drink and stands, leaning on the table for balance. He's wobbly, and every muscle in his body aches, but he stays upright. "Okay, intrepid rescuer, what now?"

"What does 'intrepid' mean?"

"It means 'brave.' Which you are. What do we do next?"

"Now you stay in this room until he gets here." Sarabeth points to the floor for emphasis. "I'll bring him."

"I'd really rather get out of here."

Sarabeth sighs in an exasperated way that reminds him of Izzy. "Do you want to get killed?" she scolds.

"Well, when you put it like that..."

"And don't sit down," she adds. "He's only a few minutes away, and you don't want to be all cramped up." She goes unfocused for a minute. "He has other people with him. Soldiers. God is telling me a lot of stuff. He must really like you."

"He definitely likes my husband," Jack replies. "Maybe some of that has rubbed off."

Sarabeth doesn't appear to hear him. "Oh, here." She reaches into the pocket of her dress and pulls out a small pistol, which she hands to Jack. "This was in a drawer. I took it for you. It's got bullets in it."

More than a little upset by the thought of a small girl running around with a loaded gun in her pocket, Jack checks the safety. To his relief, he finds it on, and he tucks the gun into the back of his pants. "Thanks, kiddo. But you know guns are dangerous, right?"

She rolls her eyes. "Yes. These guys shoot people a lot." 

The matter-of-fact way she says this is troubling, to say the least. "How did you end up here, anyway?" Jack asks. "This is a horrible place for a kid."

"It's pretty awful," Sarabeth agrees, nose wrinkling. "My sister, Cassie - she brought you water the first day, do you remember?"

Jack nods, and Sarabeth continues, "Our parents are dead so she takes care of me."

"Not very good care," Jack mutters.

"She used to. Then she met Carl - he's the boss of everybody here - and now she just does whatever he wants."

Jack finds himself disappointed to know Mortimer's real name. "Carl" is so...ordinary. He decides to keep calling him "Mortimer" instead. "What will she do when Mort - Carl is in jail?" _Or dead_ , he adds silently and hopefully.

Sarabeth shrugs. "I don't know. I don't know what I'll do either." She looks up at him, eyes wide. "I know God will take care of me somehow, but it's scary not knowing how."

And right then, Jack knows what he's going to do, no matter what happens to Cassie, the World's Worst - or maybe just Dumbest - Sister. "Try not to worry," he says, reaching out to pet her hair. "Just concentrate on staying safe for the next little while."

"I will," she says, nodding solemnly. "I can hide in the wall. I do it a lot."

Jack's heart twists, but he says only, "You're very clever."

"I know." She smiles impishly, and for a moment she looks like any other little girl. "You stay," she orders. "I'm gonna go wait for him." She pauses, then hugs Jack quickly and scurries into the hidden passage.

Nonplussed, Jack stares at the wall for a moment, then turns back to face the door. Pistol in hand, he leans against the table to wait, wondering how hard it will be to talk David into going along with his idea.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit's about to get real, y'all.
> 
> TW for references to child abuse.

The helicopter touches down in an empty field about a mile from the house where Jack's being held. To preserve the element of surprise, they'll be moving in on foot; when everything's secure, the military vehicles will come in.

Through his night vision goggles, the world is an eerie landscape that reminds David a little too much of the war. They stay low as they move through the tall grass - no telling whether the kidnappers may have posted sentries.

As they approach the house, everything seems quiet. There are lights around the house, on poles like streetlamps, and David takes off his goggles before he's blinded.

Hammond taps him on the shoulder. "Sir, look."

He points at the porch, and David sees a small girl sitting on the sagging steps. She's watching them calmly, and as he gazes at her, David feels a prickle along his spine. She may not be a priestess or a queen, but he knows, without a doubt, that he's looking at another of God's anointed.

He approaches carefully, not wanting to frighten her. "Hi," he says gently. "It isn't safe for you to be here right now."

"I know. I'm going to hide as soon as I take you to Jack." She gestures at the others. "They can take care of everything else but you need to stay with me."

She slips down from the steps. "This way." She leads them around to a cellar door, then looks at Hammond. "It's too heavy for me," she says. “You have to open it.”

Hammond clears his throat. "Sir, is this wise?"

David nods slowly, eyes on the girl. "Yeah. We're good. We can trust her."

"Yes, sir." Hammond opens the door and the girl takes a tiny flashlight out of the pocket of her dress. It's bright, despite its size, and they follow her down into the darkness.

She shines the light on the floor until she finds a step stool, and when she climbs it and points the light up, David sees a string hanging from a bulb. She tugs it and dim light fills the basement.

"The soldiers can go that way," she says as she climbs down, pointing at a flight of stairs against the wall. "That door lets out in the pantry and nobody is ever in there for long."

She tugs on David's hand. "We're gonna go this way." She leads him over to a narrow door. "It's a secret to everybody."

"Sir?" Hammond looks at the door. "Are you sure that -"

"I'm sure," David says firmly.

Hammond nods, not looking convinced. "It's just that if anything happens to you, Jack will kill us."

The little girl lets go of David's hand and walks over to Hammond, looking up into his face. "Don't worry, Thomas. I promise I'm taking him to Jack."

Hammond stares at her for a moment. "How did you -"

"Told you we could trust her," David says with a smirk.

She points at the stairs. "No time for talking. Go." 

Hammond nods slowly and leads the rest of the men upstairs, and the girl turns back to David. "C'mon."

She opens the door to reveal a rack of shelves, most of them broken. Standing on tiptoe, she pulls down on one of the broken ones, and with a scraping sound, the shelves slide to one side. 

"In here." She leads him into the area behind the shelves, then closes the door and pushes the shelves back into place. "They're lighter than they look," she explains.

The area they're in is about six feet square, with a narrow staircase leading up into darkness. "Jack's upstairs?"

"Uh huh. He's on the third floor." She points her flashlight at the stairs. "I was able to help him some, but he's still hurty and hungry."

She starts climbing, and David follows her. "How did you find this place?" he asks softly.

"I don't remember. I feel like I always knew about it. I stay in here when they're being mean."

She grins over her shoulder. "Sometimes I make ghost noises. It scares Leo and Mickey. They're very sup...." She frowns. "Supratitious?"

"Superstitious," David supplies, since she seems to want to know the correct word. 

She nods. "Super...superstitious. They're afraid of me, so they say mean things, but they don't hurt me. One time Leo hit me, and then later he got stung by wasps. It happened because he's stupid and tried to set their nest on fire, but he thought I did it. So I let him think that and now they don't hit me anymore."

David finds himself possessed of a strong urge to go find Leo and set _him_ on fire.

"Here we are." The door she pushes open is only about five feet high, and David has to bend to get through. 

As he straightens up, he sees Jack leaning against a table, pistol in hand. He's filthy, bruised, and scraped, and right now, he's more beautiful than David can remember him ever being.

Jack turns, and a slow smile curls his lips. "Well, hello, Mr. Shepherd-Benjamin. Fancy meeting you here."

David stares at him for a moment, and then in three strides he's across the room and pulling Jack to him to kiss him hard. 

Jack's arms go around him and he returns the kiss just as desperately for a moment, then he pulls back. "Ow, ow, ow. Split lip.” 

He peers over David's shoulder. "And also, little girl in room. Hello, Sarabeth. Thank you for bringing David to me."

"I told you he was coming," she says.

Jack holds David's face between his hands. "I never doubted it for a second," he says, looking into David's eyes.

David rests his forehead against Jack's, just basking in his presence, until a tiny throat clears behind him. 

"You guys can be mushy later," Sarabeth says severely. "Right now you have to go. You can go out this way."

David shakes his head. "I have some unfinished business."

"I was afraid you'd say that." She sighs. "Jack?"

"I think you know the answer to that, kiddo."

"Are you sure?" David asks, frowning. "You're in pretty bad shape."

"You can handle the big stuff," Jack assures him. "I just want to teach a couple of cowardly assholes why they shouldn't pick on little girls."

"Oh, well, then, carry on. As long as I get the boss."

Jack rolls his eyes. "We're not playing a video game," he says, but his tone is fond. "Sarabeth, time to hide."

She nods. "I'm gonna go down to the first floor. If I have to get out I can't escape through the cellar." She pauses. "The door on the first floor is in the kitchen, behind the fridge. It seems like you need to know that."

As David watches. Jack crouches down, wincing in pain, and pulls Sarabeth close. "Stay safe," he murmurs, petting her hair. "We'll find you when it's over and make sure you're taken care of."

"I'll come out once all the fighting is done." She kisses his cheek, then pulls away and reaches out to shake David's hand, tugging him down to whisper in his ear. "Don't let him fight all the bad guys by himself.” She steps back, an impish grin on her face, and disappears into the hidden passage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are two Easter eggs in this chapter: one is related to a classic video game and the other to one of Sebastian Stan's other roles. Because I'm just like that.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See Zelda. See Spot. See Zelda and Spot fall down. Lather, rinse, repeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a teeny bit of violence in here. Just so's you knows.

They find Carl, Leo, and Mickey in the room where the video was recorded by following the sound of an argument. They listen at the door for a moment and David frowns.

“Why is that guy yelling about witches?” he whispers.

Jack looks away at a particularly interesting stain on the wall. “Uh, well, the only sane person in this house is approximately seven years old, so, you know.” Which is true, if evading the question.

David seems to be satisfied with that. He gets into position to break the door down, and Jack rolls his eyes. “A normal person would see if it was locked first.”

David’s eyebrows lift. “Since when do you object to making an entrance?”

Jack considers that, then gestures at the door. “Carry on.”

The door is old and weak, and David shatters it with very little trouble. The three men spin around, and Carl raises his gun, but David calmly shoots him in the kneecap before he can fire off a round.

“Well, I feel much better already,” David says over the sound of Carl’s wailing, training his gun on the other two as he grabs Carl’s gun. “How about you?”

“Not yet,” Jack says, eyeing Leo and Mickey, whom he still thinks of as Zelda and Spot. “But I will in about fifteen minutes. You wanna call some of those boys you brought to come haul this piece of shit away first?” He kicks Carl in the side of his injured leg.

“Good idea.” David speaks into his radio, and in a minute there are soldiers streaming into the room.

Jack is touched to see that every single one of them has served under him.

“Sir? What about these two?” Hammond gestures to Zelda and Spot, who are now cowering in the corner.

Jack grins ferally. “We’ll call you to come and get them in a few.”

He turns back to the two prisoners. “I think it’s time to explain to you why you shouldn’t pick on little girls.”

When Hammond arrives at their summons a few minutes later, a couple of soldiers in tow, his eyebrows lift at the condition of the two prisoners. “They fell down,” David says nonchalantly.

“A lot,” Jack agrees. “Clumsiest people I’ve ever seen.”

Zelda opens his mouth, and Spot elbows him in the ribs. “Shut up! You wanna get cursed, too?” He glances furtively, if not subtly, at David.

“Jonathan,” David says, his tone suspicious, “do these people think I’m a witch?”

Jack shrugs. “How should I -” David’s eyes narrow, and Jack sighs. “I may possibly have implied that you have some proficiency in the dark arts, yes. But I never said it outright!”

“Why the hell would you -” David throws his hands up, seemingly unable to finish.

“I was strategically messing with their heads,” Jack replies. “Also, it was fucking hilarious.”

Zelda has been listening to this exchange. “I knew it!” he cries out. “I knew he wasn’t no witch!”

“You did not!” Spot retorts. “You was out digging in the grass, looking for wild onions for a hex-me-not!”

“For you, so you’d stop whining!”

Jack groans. “Hammond, could you please do something with these two wastes of gametes?”

Hammond grins, showing teeth. “Yes, _sir_.”

 

 


End file.
